I used to be the blogger called YAL Book Briefs, but I grew bored of the handle and changed my name to Howdy YAL. I also respond to MJ. I like to read, write, eat truffles, and watch bad Lifetime movies.

Tell me if this story seems familiar: People go into space and get super powers.

If you answered The Fantastic Fouryou’re a winner. Want to continue playing well I have another one for you.

Name a character that has dense molecular structure, can’t control your own strength.

If you answered The Hulk, The Thing, or Superman give yourself another pat on the back.

One more question. I promise this will be the last (for now). Super powers connected to the heart.

Iron Man. Yeah, I know.

So, this book seems like it’s basically a combination of a lot of Marvel superpowers with some DC references thrown in.

And okay, I get it no superhero is going to be original. Marvel and DC ripoff each other all the time. But that whole origin story, a group of people, it was very obvious it was The Fantastic Four.

And I’m not even a huge fan of that movie or comic.

This is my first experience reading a novel by Shannon Hale. My sister enjoyed Austenland and I decided that I’d give this one a try, even though I have severe reservations after reading the reviews.

I was like well it can’t be bad. And I like superheroes.

And I found myself hating myself.

Which is why I rally think I need to have some else picking out my books for me for awhile, because I’ve had really bad luck lately.

Anyway, back to this book. I just don’t know what to say. It started out good enough. I liked the premises of Space Camp. It was actually something I sort of could relate to since way back in the fifth grade (I know, total time warp) I went to Space Camp. It’s sad to say that my eleven year-old self and classmates had a lot more maturity than Maisie and her classmates.

This novel is labeled YA, but I think it’s one of those novels when one tries to be nice to its faults labels it middle grade. When it really means, the book sucks.

Seriously, the stupidity that these kids, adults, and their parental units have me slapping my head on my desk.

Let’s play a round of Is This a Liability. Don’t worry, you don’t have to be a lawyer, a law student, or even an avid Judge Judy fan to get this game. I’m sure you’ll do better than the idiotic characters in this book:

1) Is it a liability to let five minors go up into outer space without parental permission, physical fitness exam, and/or proper training?

2) Is it a liability to let said minors touch extraterrestrial biological material in outer space?

3) Is it a liability not to inform their parents, the CDC, or any other form of authorities that a mutation occurred in space?

4) Is it a liability to let an out of control minor who has Hulk like powers go out and kill two people?

5) Is it a liability to threaten said parents of said minors?

At this point you just have to put on your stupid hat to even remotely enjoy this novel. Though since the characters in this novel seem to be perpetually wearing their stupid hats, it’s not that big of a stretch (for them).

As for the characters, I wish I could’ve loved them. I actually had hopes for the main character who wasn’t WASP and had a disability. I was like cool, a diverse heroine this could be interesting. But except for throwing a few Spanish phrases and lamely getting made fun of for being a one arm girl-seriously, have these kids not seen The Fugitive- she’s basically like any other YA protagonist that I’ve had the misfortune of reading about-dumb love triangle included.

In this love triangle we’re introduced to what I’m assuming (since I DNF’d this stupid hot mess at the halfway mark) is a very obvious ending.

Love Interest #1: The barely existent best friend who’s suddenly hot and given the good guy personality. Of course, good guys are boring when there’s a hot asshole around which leads us to love interest number two. And all I can say is…

Love Interest #2: Yeah, I don’t like him. After an insta love date that would make even the fluff lovers of fluff lovers hate each self, we go back to abusive dick behavior. And then back to being oh so lovable and fluffy.

Seriously, authors this is not what girls or women want.

I get the best friend is boring. But nice guys can have a personality. Or the asshole can actually evolve instead of going back in forth from his asshole-ness the entire novel.

If the stupidity didn’t get me then the love triangle most definitely did.

I love superheroes, but I just can’t stand this book. It reminded me of that bad The Next Avengers: Heros of Tomorrow movie I tried to watch on Netflix the other week but turned off because I was eye rolling so much so I just ended up watching some classic Justice League instead to soothe my brain.

I think I’m going to have to do the same thing here. Though the antithesis to this book is that horrible The Fantastic Four movie where Captain America is acting like a jackass and that guy from Charmed is Dr. Doom and that’s just so wrong. So, maybe The Avengers will make for a next substitution?